Attract Clients Easily
I recently got an email from someone who was a part of my entrepreneurial community, HIVE. Even though the subject was empty, I opened it up. Here is what it said:
Hey Stephanie,
My name is Andrew, a fellow Hiver. I came across your details recently, and wanted to get in touch personally and share an invitation that may be helpful to your entrepreneurial journey.
With gratitude,
Andrew
Immediately, I had the sense this was spam. But because of HIVE’s reputation and the somewhat personal nature of the email, I trusted I could click the link.
It directed me to a webpage describing a mentorship community. As I scrolled down it invited me to “apply” for a $150 per month membership.
I shook my head in embarrassment for and disbelief of Andrew’s tactics.
What’s Wrong Here?
Andrew had just committed a cardinal sin in business: unrequested solicitation. He probably had the best intentions. Maybe he’d even been told by a business mentor to write people in his networks, “inviting” them to his new business.
But he did it. All. Wrong. And it will cost him his business. As a business coach, I felt it was my responsibility to send this response:
Hey Andrew,
Although I appreciate the invite, I’m going to pass. I sense that this is a new business model you are working on and as a business coach I feel it is my responsibility to let you know that your current approach of email will most likely not get you the result you want. Personally, as soon as I saw your email I considered it spam. First, you put no subject in the email. But out of curiosity (because you are a fellow Hiver), I pressed your impersonal ‘invite’ link and sure enough, I was being asked to ‘apply’ to invest $150 into a mastermind that I know nothing about from a simple landing page.
Business is like dating: You wouldn’t ask someone to marry you on the first date. In the same way, it is important to build trust and relationship with people before asking them to invest in you or your business. I sense you are committed to creating community in service of a better future and if you truly want to grow your mastermind program, you’d be better off networking and giving free workshops or training THEN inviting people to join. Give them REAL VALUE first instead of emailing a whole bunch of your contacts.
In addition, if you had in fact done your research, you would see that as a coach of 10 years and with my level of expertise working with Fortune 500 companies, I’d be a better fit as a mentor than a mentee in your program. Again, having a real conversation with me would have prevented this misunderstanding.
Wishing you the best,
Steph
Newbie Mistake
Andrew is clearly new in business because his email reveals a common amateur mistake. He sent an impersonal mass invitation to buy without offering value, creating trust, or building reputation. He has the naive hope that if he puts out the invitation, people will buy.
To put it simply, this is bad business. I’d be a bad coach if I hadn’t been straight with him about how his email had landed. I’m hoping I could save him from future mistakes.
How to Attract Clients the Right Way
Of course, if you don’t ask, the answer is always “no.” So I commend Andrew for his courage in even sending the email.
But if you are someone who is looking to expand or launch a business, I’d like to tell you what steps to take instead.
Step 1) Know Your Customer. Andrew did respond and said he had reviewed my profile but he probably didn’t do much research after that. It would have saved him the embarrassment of inviting an expert facilitator to his beginner level mastermind.
Do you even know who your ideal client is? Have you done the right kind of research to know what their challenges are and what solutions they seek? This is one of the very first steps that I cover in all my business courses because it is so darn crucial.
Step 2) Create Relationship. You wouldn’t walk up to a stranger and ask them for $150, right? (And you might laugh in someone’s face if they did).
That is essentially what Andrew did. I don’t know him (or remember him) and I have no idea what he does and if he is credible. So, the first step is to tell your story and illustrate WHY YOU CARE. Be a real person, talk about your big vision and your commitment to making a difference.
Give Before You Get
Step 3) Give Free Value. Ok, I’m going to be straight with you: Don’t ever, ever, EVER ask for a sale before giving free value first.
You need to “date” your prospect before asking them to commit to marry you. Your responsibility is to educate them. Share your gifts and expertise, and provide some value to them so they can get a sense of what you and your business have to offer.
Provide a free session, a free short webinar, or a workshop. It works! It also explains all the unexpected groceries I buy after trying the “free samples.” 😉
Step 4) Build Trust. Your free sample is a lead-in to whatever you want your prospect to purchase. So when giving your free value it is important to show how it has been applied and made a difference for others.
This means sharing testimonials about how your work has helped you or your other clients. Statistics and research are helpful support. You want to be sure that either in your free offering or in the relationship building afterward (this is where emails are appropriate), you exhibit the proof that your product or service can provide the solution your client is seeking.
Step 5) Invite. Do you know your client? Check. Have you provided value and shown your credibility? Check.
NOW, you are in a position to invite your potential customer to do work with you. They may still say no, but your chances of getting a YES are 10 times what they were if you followed Andrew’s steps.
And a bonus tip: make it easy for them. Stack the value, give them an incredible deal, and show you care with personalized touches.
Follow these steps and you’ll never have a business where potential customers are running for the hills.
Instead, you’ll be a money magnet. Get ready to attract clients easily by being upfront about your contribution and coming from the heart.
